Methods for treating sheet metal with the objective of producing sheet metal parts, which in sections have locally modified properties, are generally known. Sheet metal parts with locally modified properties can be produced by locally alloying in corresponding alloying elements. For example, DE 196 50 258 A1 describes a method for laser-alloying metal parts, in which the alloying components are supplied in the form of rods or wires. This method is primarily suitable for alloying linear areas, but is not effective for uniformly alloying surface regions. Furthermore, the utilization of lasers is only economical for modifying smaller surface sections of a metal sheet or component, but is not effective for larger surface sections.